Greece’s men’s national water polo team returned to the medal stand in emphatic fashion. Coached by Thodoris Vlachos, the Greek side turned the bronze-medal match into a one-sided showcase, defeating Italy 12–5 to claim third place at the European Championship.

With this victory, the team in blue and white finally broke a long-standing drought. It secured a medal at the one major international competition where it had previously fallen short, completing the set of podium finishes in top-level tournaments.

Defense was Greece’s cornerstone, operating at near-textbook level, while the attack spread the scoring load with impressive balance.

Perfect start
Greece entered the pool determined and immediately imposed its rhythm through disciplined defense. Two goals from Argyropoulos, along with strikes by Kakaris and Gkiouvetsis, gave the Greeks a commanding 4–0 lead.

Italy needed six minutes to find the net, with Ferrero converting a penalty, as the first quarter ended 4–1 in Greece’s favor.

At the start of the second period, Kalogeropoulos restored the four-goal cushion. Greece’s defense continued to dominate, and Papanastasiou extended the lead further on the counterattack to make it 6–1.

Italy struggled to create clear chances, with their shots either denied by the outstanding Zerdevas or blocked by the Greek defense. Kalogeropoulos struck again to push the score to 7–1, before Condemi made it 7–2 at halftime.

Greek control to the finish
Despite Italy’s efforts—and occasional lapses into overly physical play—Greece remained firmly in control. A goal by Nikolaidis stretched the lead to seven, before Ferrero shaped the scoreline at 10–4 by the end of the third quarter.

The final eight minutes were largely procedural. Vlachos’ players dictated the tempo, maintained their defensive intensity, and calmly saw the match through to its conclusion.
The final whistle sealed a comprehensive performance and confirmed Greece’s place on the third step of the European Championship podium.

Italy – Greece 5–12                                                                                                                                              Quarters: 1–4, 1–3, 2–3, 1–2